Prebuilt mattress and box spring border machine



Oct. 1940- c. A. BOETTCHER PREBUILT MATTRESS AND BC'X SPRING BORDER MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 5, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR (usdur {QB 00 tic/7 er av f z ATTORNEY Oct. 22, 1940. G A {IQETTCHER I 2,218,785

PREBUILT MATTRESS AND BOX SPRING BORDER MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 5, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 4mm 19. Bodir/Wr ATTORNEY G. A. BOETTCHER 0ct..22, 1940. I

' 'PREBU'ILT MATTRESS AND Box SPRING BORDER MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original File d Nov. 5, 1935.

f 0 6 M a, m 4 n Rf Y O Ne R EOT M Wm Z U Cw 4a.. A, ETTcHER QQ --'2,218',7 8 5 j rnnauwr "mm-s AND BOX SPRING BORDER MACHINE Oct. 22, 1940.

brj ginal'Fil'e d Nv. @1955 e s e t -sh et 4 IN'VENTOR v fl. Boe lie/70f, BY

- 4 ATTORNEY Oct. 22, 1940.

PREBUIL'I' MATTRESS AND BOX SPRING BORDER MACHINE G. A. BOETTCHER 2,218,785

Original Filed Nsv. 5, 1935 6 SheetsSheet 5 lNVENTOR ATTORNEY Oct. 22, 1940.

G. A. BOETTCHER PREBUILT'HATTRESS AND BOX SPRING BORDER MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 v m L llllll Original Filed NOV. 5, 1 935 INVENTOR Gustm 1?. 80811650 ATTORNEY Patented O I I PREBUILT MATTRESSANDBOX SPRING I BQRDERMAOHINE v Gustav A.Boettc her, Jamaiza, N. Y. f

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 48,318, November 5, 1935. This application September 30, 1936, Serial No. 103,453 1 2 Claims.

This invention refers to prebuilt mattress and. that it is possible to allow certain needles or box-spring borders and an automatic machine for making the same; and particularly to' that type of machine. wherein a frame carrying fabric 6 material supply rolls, positively operated feed rolls and wind up rolls for receiving the stitched material past a group of sewing instrumentalities upon the machine so as to stitch predetermined designs upon said material and simultaneously stitch together several layers of material to form the prebuilt border.

The main object of my invention is to provide a machine of the character indicated which is small and compact in form and capable of economically producing prebuilt mattress borders by "simultaneously producing two such borders, if

desired. 1

Another object is to have sucha machine which is'capable of producing either a pair of mattress or box-spring borders, or one of each simultaneously, or simply a single mattress on boxspring border alone.

A further object is to provide such a machine with facilities for producing substantially equal 25 stitches along various directional lines and curves in different types of designs which are stitched into the borders. I

It is also an important object to produce a mattress or box-spring border which is built up of 30 such heavy and substantial fabric layers which are also so tightly stitched, and particularly stitched according to such novel and effective designs that such a border is both heavy enough to prevent detection of springs located within the Furthermore, the invention contemplates providin'g the machine with automatic means for order to draw each stitch very tight.

It should be pointed out that the present ma- II chine also includes manually controlled electrical means governing the operation of individual needles or groups of needles in the machineso mattress involved and so resilient as to automatitightening the thread as each stitch is sewed-in I parts illustrated in Fig. '7.

roups thereof'to'remain'idle'while other needles are actively used for stitching .a single border or portions of a design thereon.

X Other objects and the many advantages inher- 6 ent in the construction, arrangement of parts and operation as well as in the borders involved in the invention will appear more fully in detail as this specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming part 10 hereof,

Fig. l is a front elevation 'of a. machine embodying the invention'and its salient features in a practical form; I

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same machine asseen from the left.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the machine as taken on line 3-3 of Fig. i.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of certain gearing and adjustment means therefor only partly shown at the intermediate left portion of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the machine as seen' from above in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic. front elevation of the machine as shown in Fig. 1,, with much ofthe detail and many obscuring-parts omitted to clarify the view which is intended to reveal the unity "and movement of a'sp'ecial movable frame or fabric carriage carrying the fabric supply; feed and wind up rolls. 80

I Fig. '7 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 2 intermediate the upper and lower portions thereof, omitting several obscuring parts in order to disclose the manner in which the intermediate por- 85 tion of the mentioned movable frame is mounted. the operating and control cams and members for the fabric feed rolls also being included. I I Fig. 8 is an elevational plan view of the same o Fig. 9 shows the same mechanism as seen tom the left in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view of the upperj'right portion of the frame of the machine shown in Fig. 1, illustrating an electrical contact device for closing an electric circuit upon breakag of a thread while the machine is running.

Fig. '11 is a side view, partlyin sectidn of the same parts asin Fig. 10. I l I Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspectiveiview of an electric contact lever 01 Figs. 10 and 11.

Fig. '13 is a plan view-of an automaticallyoperated switch of the machine and a. switchbo); which is shown without its cover.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view of the same switch and box with the cover of the switch box in lace.

Fig. is a sectional viewof a'rotary timing contact and its Protecting box, which form parts of the machine.

Fig. 16 is a transverse section of the same on line l6-l6 in Fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is an electrical diagram of the machine embodying the invention.

Figs. 18 and 19 illustrate typical designs of stitched mattress and box-spring borders as made according to the invention by the mentioned machine.

Fig. is a section of the border of Fig. 18, for example, as taken on line 20-2 0'.

Finally, Fig. 21 is a fragmentary view of the eccentric and its rod which are obscured in Fig. 1 at the right although partly shown at the right in Fig. 5 in section.

Throughout the views, the same reference numerals indicate the same or like parts. The present application is a substitute for my application Serial No. 48,318, filed November 5, 1935.

In the practice of my invention, a pair of stationary frames I, 2 \are secured together below by a connecting frame or bridge 3 and at their upper portions by one or more tie rods or runners similar to 4, which in turn form the supporting means within the outline of the machine for such known sewing instrumentalities such as shuttle races, shuttle holders and shuttles generally indicated at 5. Inasmuch as these latter parts do not directly involve the novelty herein they will simply be referred to hereafter as the lower. sewing instrumentalities.

Upon the frames 1 and 2 are secured rigid upper extensions 6 and 1 which are surmounted by a wind up reel support assembly, generally indicated at 8 and including a plurality of reel supports similar to 9.

A main drive shaft l0 passes through the main frames l and 2, carrying a pulley ll (Fig. 5) upon one end driven from a pulley 12 (Figs. 1 and 2) mounted upon an arm l3 (Fig. 1) fast upon frame 2 and is in turn rotated by a belt I4 upon a larger pulley l5 rigid with said pulley 12. The belt I4 is driven by a clutch pulley I6 of a clutch 11 in line with an electric motor or other source of mechanical power l8, supported upon the lower portion of the machine at l9.

The main drive shaft I 0 is provided with a pair of eccentrics 20, 20 provided with yokes 2|, 2| (Fig. 1) which project rearwardly in the form of a pair of arms 22, 22 (Fig. 5) inter-connnected by a bar 23 to which certain of the lower sewing instrumentalities such as the shuttle holder bars 24, 24 are attached with the result that upon rotation of the main shaft and said eccentrics said shuttle holder bars will be reciprocated between the shuttle races 25, 25 of the lower sewring instrumental-ities.

An apron 26 is mounted upon the frames in order to protect fabric from becoming caught and torn by contact with any of the lower mechanism of the machine. Adjacent to .the apron upon the frames i and 2 is secured a horizontal plate 21, upon which the sewing or stitching of fabric is performed.

'of members 52.

tical presser foot guide rods 34 connected upon their lower ends by means of a presser foot 35 which is adapted to reciprocate vertically with said guide rods. In order to facilitate the operation of the presser-foot and also cushion the operation of the guide rods, springs similar to 36 are provided, engaging between the upper guide rod bearings 31 and collars 38 fast upon said guide rods 34, with the result that said springs will tend to resiliently resist raising of the presser foot. Upon shaft 30 a plurality of cams similar .to 39 are fixed adjacent to frames 32 and adapted to engage beneath rollers similar to 40 upon blocks 4| secured upon the upper ends of said guide, rods. Obviously, upon partial or reciprocal, rotation of operating shaft 30, cams 39 engaging rollers 40 will tend to raise the guide rods and then allow the same to drop alternately so that the presser foot 35 is reciprocated above plate 21. 4

Upon the same shaft 30 a plurality of levers similar to 42 are secured and are connected to operating rods 43 which in turn are connected at lower ends to a horizontal needle bar 44 carrying groups of needles as at 45, 45. In order to guide said needle bar in its movements a plurality of needle bar guide rods 46, 46 are sli dably supported in the frames 33 with the result that upon partial repeated rotation of operating shaft 30 the needle bar with its needles is reciprocated vertically in perfectly accurate manner, the prmser foot and stitching plate 21 being, of course, provided with corresponding apertures for said needles. In order to feed threads to the needles, spools similar to 41 are placed in position upon supports 9 '(Fig. 3) with the thread 48 passing downwardly therefrom past tension devices similar to 49 rigidly secured upon a transverse bar 50 fast upon frame members 6 and 1 and thence passing behind an auxiliary take-up bar 5i secured upon needle bar guide rods 46 by means The thread is passed downwardly from said bar 5] behind a main take-up bar 53 and through insulating porcelain guides 54 from which the thread is again brought upward and passed through other porcelain guides 55 in the main take-up bar 53. Said latter takeup bar is also secured to the needle bar guide rods 46 by means of attachment members 56 and thence again downwardly to the needles 45.

The purpose of thus passing the thread behind the auxiliary take-up bar and similarly past the main take-up bar and upwardly through .the

same and finally down to the needles is to tighten r the stitches as they are sewed in the fabric 51 beneath the presser foot 35, it being immediately evident that when the needle bar 44 is reciprocated vertically by operation of shaft 3!! guide rods 46 and therefor also the auxiliary take-up bar as well as the main take-up bar will likewise be reciprocated with the needle bar. When the needle bar descends with its needles to sew a stitch, the take-up bars will also be lowered so as to produce a slack in the thread, and when the needle bar again is raised for the next stitch, the take-up bars will naturally rise therewith so as to take up the slack in the thread and, in fact, draw the same very tight, with the result that each stitch is quite tight before the next is produced. The porcelain guides 54 and 55 could, of course, be substituted by any other desired guide means through which the thread might pass, but it should be pointed out that while the upper inlets 55 in the take-up bar as well as the auxiliary take-up bar itself rise when the needles are raised, the guides similar to 54 are not raised therewith, and it is for this reason that the slack is taken out of the thread when the needles and take-up bars are raised after producing a stitch.

As may be seen in Fig. 3, the attachment members 52 and 56 have manually adjustable screws 52' and 56, respectively, for adjusting the location of these members along the guide rods 45in order to adjust the heights of the main and auxiliary take up bars to the'proper slack and take up of the threads, depending on the kind and thickness of the goods to be operated upon as well as the kind and size of .the thread used for each particular run of work.

It may occasionally occur that a thread will break at the moment it is .tightened and it is quite evident that the machine should immediately be stopped if this occurs, for otherwise defective sewing will take place with one or two rows of stitches entirely missing from the fabric.

' In order to promptly stop the machine and also render such cessation of its operation entirely automatic, electrical means are incorporated, as will hereinafter be explained.

Returning now to the main shaft 10, it may be well to considerthe feeding of fabric through the machine, which occurs by using a pair of feed rollers similar to 58 and 59 and resiliently held in contact with fabric 51 by means of manually adjustable means including a spring 60, These feed rolls are supported in a movable frame consisting of pair of main side members 6| and 62 which have, in front of the machine a downwardly projecting frame generally indicated at 63 secured thereto for supporting fabric reels similar to 64, 65 upon shafts 66', 61, and

. similar reels may be mounted on shafts and r 61 when desired. The frame 63 is provided with a plurality of hook bearings similar to the centrally located bearings 62' and 69 for supporting the shafts of the reels. The lower shaft 66 is provided with a pulley 60 by which it may be rotated or retarded in rotation, and the collar 6| serves to keep the shaft from running out of the bearings, the shaft terminating in bearing 62- where it meets the ends of shaft 66. The reel 64 is pinned to this shaft and may be rotated by the pulley 63, while a collar 64' retains the shaft in place. Similarly, the shaft 61 is retained in place by a collar 10' and may be rotated by the pulley H, while terminating within bearing 69', in which it meets the end of shaft 61. The reel 65 is pinned to this shaft and rotatable by pulley 68' and a collar 65 serves to retain the shaft in place in its bearings. e

Upon the rear of the movable frame members BI, 62, adjacent, to the location of the fabric feed rolls are fixedly mounted a pair of upwardly extending support members 68, 69 surmounted by bearings 10, H carrying a shaft 12. Upon this shaft is fixed a pulley 13 adjacent to one end and a fabric wind up reel 14 secured at 14' so that said shaft may be driven by rotating pulley 13 for the purpose of from the feed rolls after having been drawn past the sewing instrumentalities. Shaft 12 also carries a second fabric wind-up reel 15 freely rotatably mounted upon the same between locating collars I2 and I3 and provided with a pulley 16 similar to pulley 13. These pulleys are preferably connected to the main shaft by means of belts similar to 11 at the location generally indicated at 18 in Fig. 5 so as to provide for positive rotation of the fabric wind-up reels from the main shaft. In Fig. 2 the belt 11 is shown as brought past a take-up device 19 for adjusting the slack of said belt, said device being pivoted at in the side bar 69.

Hence, if upper and lower fabrics 80, 8| of a mattress border generally indicated at 82 in Figs. 18, 20 are individually rolled up on supply reels 65, 64 respectively (Fig. 1) and a filler "layer 83 simultaneously supplied between said fabrics from a roll on the floor in front of the machine or from a supply reel not shown, said fabric assembly will be drawn past the sewing instrumentalities upon the machine by the feed rolls upon the movable frame, similarly to the fabric 51 in Fig. 3. This movable frame supports the feed rolls together with the supply reels just mentioned, as well as the fabric windup reels and is in effect a balanced movable frame. The means for supporting the frame are provided in the form of extensions upon the the machine for adjusting the same preparatory to .sewing upon said machine in regular operation.

The gear box is provided upon one side thereof with a cam 89 adapted to rotate between a pair of rollers 90, 9| mounted upon a bar 92 connected to the movable frame already described. Upon the same shaft of said cam is secured a gear 93 for positively rotating the cam driving the fabric wind-up reel in order to receive stitched fabric and this gear meshes with a second gear 94 which in turn meshes with the further gear 95.

Upon the shaft of gear 95 is mounted a wormgear meshing with a worm fast upon the main driveshaft H) (which gear and worm are not shown in order to avoid obscuring the figures) with the result that the rotation of the drive shaft will cause rotation of the cam and consequent sliding reciprocating movement of the balanced movable frame upon extensions 84, 85 of runners 4. If the feed rolls simultaneously feed the fabric past the sewing instrumentalities while the cam just described is rotated by the drive shaft and interposed gearing, the sewing will not occur in a straight line but will be modified according to the movements of the movable frame derived from the shape and speed of rotation of said cam 89.

When the'machine is operated it will perhaps do not occur. in a straight forward direction.

Examples. of various designs for the sewing,.-to be produced by the machine are shown in Figs. 18-20, the design in Fig: 18, being a mere zigzag pattern using four needles simultaneously, two of the. needles being secured upon the forward edge of the needle bar'while the other two are secured to the rearthereof so that the first of the needles sew in advance of the other two and thus produce the different portions of the pattern. In connection with this design there is no necessity for adjusting the machine in order to equalizethe stitches throughout, but in the design shown in Fig. 19, for example, certain expedients are incorporated so that the sewing will occur along the straightforward portions 96 at approximately the same rate as along the diagonalf portions 91 upon the border 98. In either-case the sewing, of course, advances along the-{mattress border in the direction indicated I by the arrows.

' in order to provide a normal feeding movement to the feed rollers for straightforward stitching a fabric feed cam 99 is fixed upon main drive shaft I0 and is engaged by a roller 5 I00 upon a rockably mounted bracket IOI pivoted to frame member 6I of the balanced movable frame at I02. A link I03 is connected to a slotted portion I04 in said rockable bracket IM 30 at one end and at the other end of the link is upon said frame GI and provided with a pawl I06 adapted to engage one-way teeth of a ratchet I01. Upon the same shaft with ratchet I0! is a gear I08 rigid with said ratchet and mounted therewith upon a sleeve (not shown) so as to be together rotatable upon the shaft I09 which is continuous with feed roller 58. Gear I08 meshes with a relatively larger gear I II which in turn is rigid with a further gear II2 so as to '40 rotate therewith upon a stub shaft 3, the gear H2 in turn meshing with another relatively larger gear II4 rigid with shaft I09 with feed roller 58. In order to transmit the rotation imparted to said feed roller to the other feed roller,

4'5 these rollers are provided with meshing gears Upon rotation of the main shaft the cam 99 will cause bracket IN to rock with consequent reciprocation of pawl I06 so as to feed, the 5 sprocket I01 in a forward direction at the rate of one tooth, for example, at each movement.

The feed .rollers are thus. positively driven through said ratchet while a pawl III mounted above. said ratchet engages the same-so as to 55 prevent any return movement 6i" said ratchet. The rate .of feeding thus ensuing is quite proper for the'zigzag or diagonal lines of stitches H8 in the design of Fig. 18 or in a diagonal lines 91 in the design of Fig. 19 because'sidewise 60 movements of the balanced movable frame carrying the fabric reels'and feed rollers due to rotation of design cam 89 will suffice to produce proper lengths of Stitches in said diagonal lines. However, the feedingof the fabric at the rate 65 of a single tooth for each movement of the cam 99 and pawl I06 would be tooslow when the straightforward stitching at 96 in Fig. 19 should be performed because the stitches would be entirely too close and short. The same condition would be true in curved designs where the line's or rows of stitches would gradually turn from oblique or nearly transverse directions into straightforward sewing and in order to speed up the feeding movement of the feed rollers, a control cam H9 is introduced to cause an increased connected to a rocking member I05 pivoted movement of the pawl I06 with consequent engagement of. twoor three teeth thereof instead of merely one toothat each reciprocation of said pawl. I

The rocking member I05 has a rearward extension I28 provided with an adjusting screw or the like at I29 adapted to engage upon the control cam H9. The latter cam has a gear IIO rigid therewith meshing with the gear III of the gear assembly previously described for driving the feed rolls, and is rotatable on a stud I30 on frame member 6|. Upon said cam H9 is cut a gap I3I, so that during rotation, this gap will come beneath the adjustment screw I29, allowing the screw to descend into said gap. The screw normally is raised out of contact with the peripheral surface of control cam H9 during each feeding stroke of pawl I06, but is brought down upon said cam periphery during each re- I turn movement of said pawl after having fed sprocket I01 forward one tooth, and it is obvious that the extent. of return movement allowed the pawl will determine the amount of subsequent.

forward movement of the sprocket which will be caused by the pawl, inasmuch as the strokes of said pawl will thus be controlled. Its forward movement is always the same, but if the return will engage one or twoteeth more than the normal single tooth, depending upon the depth of the gap, for if said gap is shallow, only one additional tooth is 'engaged by thepawl I06, while if much deeper, two or more extra teeth are'thus engaged in addition to said one tooth. The feeding movement of the pawl on rocking member will thus ,equal' one, two or more teeth upon the sprocket, and the'control cam will thus cause the feeding of the fabric through'the feed rolls to be speeded up past straight or nearly straight portions of rows of stitches in various designs.

Naturally, the control cam is both out to a predetermined depth and length of gap to correspond with the design involved, and also properly timed to present thegap to the screw or projection upon the extension I28, andthe latter may itself be formed to engage the cam. The gap in the latter even has different depth out, throughout its extent to correspond with different portions and curves in designs used, as occasion may require.

Upon extension 84 of one of the runners 4 (Fig. 5) a bracket I20 is fixed and a manually operated lever I 2I is pivoted to said bracket at I22 and at its lower end I23 is connected by means of a link I24 to a downwardly extending lever I25, which is pivoted at its lower end to a pivotal mounting I26 fixed to the frame of the machine. A spring I2! is connected between the pivoted portion of manual lever I2I and the upper end of lever I25 so as to tend to return and retain said lever in idle position. Near the lower 1 end of lever I25 an operating device I28 is sethe machine will be directly operated by the mo tor if theiatter is supplied with electric current;

In order to furnish the necessary current to operate the motor, a switch which may be, for

example, a mercury switch I32 (Figs. 13 and 14) istroekablymounted in a switch casing I33 and has a starting arm I34 controlling the same,

which arm is slotted at I31 and engages a stud or bolt/J35 associated with the switch, so that :when the arm :is moved toward the left as indicated by the arrow, a'cutout portion I31 will register with a'catch I38 and allow the arm to drop a small distance and .rock the switch I32 from its open idle position illustrated into closed position. 'Ihe mentioned arm is connected at its outer end to lever I which is operated by man the arm in the attained position with the switch I32 in closed circuit positiombut if a cur're'nt is even momentarily supplied from some source to the electromagnet I42, the latter will attract yoke I of the catch and will thus swing the same downwardly in clockwise direction, releasing starting arm I3 4.-. This arm will then immediately shift toward the right, due to the action of the return spring I21, and meanwhile the slotted'end of the arm as well as the'switch will be returned to the inactive position shown in.Fig. 14, stopping the motor. i

The arm I25 will cause the yoke HI and catch I38 to assume the positions shown when the motor is stopped, as the current in coil I42 is cut.

oil and-allows a spring I40 uponthe coil to raise the yoke and swing the catch upwardly about its pivot I38. e

A meansfor providing current to the electromagnet when required is provided, for example, in the form of a transformer I43 (Figs. 13' and 14) and if we refer to the electrical circuit diagram it will be readily seen that the current supplied from the mains at I44, I45, the current from the latter passing through the mercury switch I32 and from thence to the motor I8 through cable I46 and a fuse I", while the motor is also connected to the return main I44, thus establishing the motor circuit controlle by the switch. From the same fuse I" the ca 1e I48 passes down to the winding I48 of transformer mercury switch sirnultaneouslywith the motor.

The other winding I50 of the transformer is connected by cable-HI directly to the electromagnet I42, while the other terminal of said .winding is connected to two branch cables I52, I53 to a manually operated stop button I 54 and to a simple switch 155,. respectively. From the stop button, a cable-I56 connects on the one hand to a second fuse I" through cable I58 .which in turn connects with electromagnet I42 through a cable I59, completing the circuit of said magnet through push button I54; If said button is pushed, the current from transformer winding I50 will pass through the coils of the electromagnet, and if the machine is running and.

' ofinsulating blocks, cleats or rings I62, I62.

switch, I32 closed position, due to locked po- -sition of starting arm I34, the latter will bepreferably mounted on a stop motion bar I60 fixed on the machine a distance above the presser foot (Fig. 1), and upon the same bar are secured one or a group of insulated contact bars I6I held out of contact upon said. bars by means Each contact bar I6I is connected to an individual switch such as indicated at I55, while i from .each such switch runs a. cable I63 to the contact bar I6I associated therewith. Upon the stop motion bar I60 is secured a swivel or pivot rod I64 upon which equal number of thread contact members I65 to the maximum number of needles upon the needle bar 34 are pivotally mounted. Each contact member I65 is provided with a thread guide 54, already mentioned and 2 is normally held with its lower contacting. portion I66 inactive contact with contact bar. I6I by means of a spring I6I. For each such thread contact member I65 or restricted group thereof,

there is a switch I 55, so that for any idle group of needles on the machine, the corresponding switch I55 is left open in order to avoid affecting the operation of the remaining needles and other devices.

However, it has already been pointed out that the thread is only tightened during the upward stroke of the needle bar at the end of each stitch to tighten the latter, but it is quite conceivable that during such momentary.tighteningopera- I tion, a thread may break, due to excessive strain thereon or weakness of the thread. -When the threadis thus tightened it draws the thread contact member I65 involved out of contact with contact bar I6 I so that the circuit of the electromagnet is open, but if any thread breaks at that moment, the corresponding contact member I65 will instantly be drawn into active contact with its contact portion I66 against contact bar I6I by the associated spring I61, thus initially closing the circuit of the electromagnet so as to open the motor circuit and stop the motor. In order to make the stopping of the motor effective, but

only during such intervals as'when the thread is strained and tightened as described, a timing contact device generally indicated at I68 is interposed in the circuit Just mentioned. This contact device consists of an insulated casing I68 within which a rotary contact member I I0 is fixed on drive shaft I0 so as to be rotated thereby, while fixed in said casing is a stationary contact.

' I1, and upon rotation of the shaft, the rotary contact member will make momentary electrical contact with contact "I thus closing the electromagnet circuit, the thread contract member and the rotary contact member being both grounded to the machine.

The mentioned timing contact device is so adjustedand timed that it will close any and all circuits associated therewith only during the tightening operation of the threads upon the machine, inasmuch as this corresponds with the time when the thread contact members are also drawn out of electrical contact withthe contact bar by the-tightened threads. The useful interval of contact made by said rotary contact is only a fraction of a revolution, for example, one eighth thereof, more or less.

The switch box or casing I33 preferably has a cover I12, while the rotary contact device just described is also provided with a cover H3. The contact bar and its associated parts is also protected by a cover bar I14.

From the foregoing, it is evident that once the fabric and the threads have been properly placed in the machine and the same started by shifting manual lever l2l to the right, the mercury switch will close the motor circuit so as to start the same and will simultaneously throw in the clutch I! so as to cause rotation of the drive shaft, with consequent reciprocal shifting of the movable frame or carriage from the position of Fig. 1 to that diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 6 and simultaneous operation of the sewing instrumentalities and predetermined rotation of the feed rolls. If it is desired tostop the machine, pressing of a button I54 will cause the motor to becut out both mechanically and electrically, or if a thread breaks, the same result will ensue.

It is quite evident at this stage that the machine is wholly automatic in operation, allowing one operator to prepare further material and work for the machine while the latter is running and also to attend several such machines, while the box-spring and/or mattress border produced thereby will be readily made as heavy as desired and stitched along the lines of such designs, with such efiective tightening of the stitches, that such borders will be resilient, strong and excellent articles ef manufacture, which if 'bent or creased, will instantly spring back into straight or flat condition when released. The design is in every instance of substantially equal width throughout its length, the stitches crossing the warp and woof of the fabric, but does not extend to the two edges of the border but leaves margins free from stitches along said two edges, the latter being adapted to be sewed or otherwise secured to upper and lower fabric layers upon a mattress" or box-spring. The machine described is particularly suitable for making such borders,

and said borders are solely produced by the same machine.

Manifestly, variations of the borders and said machine for automatically making the same may be resorted to, and features and parts may be used without others.

shaft in said frame, and sewing instrumentalities mounted in the frame and actuated from said drive shaft, means for feeding fabric past said sewing instrumentalities and simultaneously shifting said fabric transversely back and forth with respect to the feeding direction of the fabric to produce stitched designs on the latter, comprising a rigid fabric frame slidably supported upon said machine having fabric feed rolls dis- .posed adjacent to said sewing instrumentalities upon one side of the machine anddrivenfrom said drive shaft, said slidable fab'ric frame having a portion disposed upon the same side'of said machine as said feed rolls and serving to support a fabric wind up reel for receiving stitched fabric from said feed rolls, said slidable frame also having a second portion which is disposed on the other side of said machine in order to support a fabric supply reel for supplying fabric to said sewing instrumentalities, there being means for driving said drive shaft and means driven by said drive shaft for shifting said slidable frame,

a cam fast on said drive shaft, a rocking member pivoted upon the movable rigid frame and having a P ti n engaging with said cam so as to rock said member upon rotation of the shaft, a gear train connected to one of the feed rolls and including a ratchet connected with and driving said gear train, a control cam having a generally circular profile interrupted by a gap of predetermined depth, form and length, a second rocking member on the movable frame connected to said first rocking member so as-to be rocked thereby and carrying a pawl engaging with the teeth upon said ratchet, an arm rigid with said second rocking member having a portion striking upon the periphery of said control cam and being limited in movement thereby and thuslimiting the movement of said pawl in one direction, and a second pawl pivoted upon said movable frame and engaging with the teeth of said ratchet to prevent return rotation of the latter, said'control cam being rotated by said gear train and said arm portion having a greater stroke when encountering the gap in said control cam.

2. Means for controlling the form of a design sewed upon a sewing machine having a drive mentalities, and a horizontally reciprocable].

frame slidable with respect to said fixed frame and carrying said fabric feed and take up means, said controlling means comprising a cam on the drive-shaft,.a rocking member pivoted upon said reciprocable frame and having a portion making contact with said cam so as to be rocked thereby upon rotation of said shaft, rotatable means connected to said fabric feed means, a second rocking member pivoted on said reciprocable frame and connected to the first rocking member so as to be rocked by the same, means upon said second rocking member engaging with said rotatable means, a control cam having a gap in its periphery of predetermined form, size and depth, and being rotatable from said fabric feed means, a rigid portion upon said second rocking member striking upon said periphery of said control cam and being limited thereby and thus limiting the throw of said second rocking member and the means upon the same engaging with the rotatable means so as to vary the amplitude of the engagement, and means preventing reverse rotation of said rotatable means but allowing step by step movement thereof in one direction caused by said engagement from the second rocking member.

- GUSTAV A, BOEI'ICHER. 

